[Press Conference: "Rebuilding Together Houston - 40th Anniversary"]
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REBUILDING HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN PART OF OUR LIFE FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT I'D LIKE TO QUICKLY SHARE A STORY ABOUT HOW REBUILDING TOGETHER HOUSTON CAME INTO MY LIFE AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY.
I DO THE MORNING SHOW ON 100.3 THE BULL.
AND I GOT INVOLVED WITH REBUILDING HU UH, TOGETHER HOUSTON, UH, RIGHT AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY WHEN WE HAD THE CHANCE TO HELP REBUILD A HOUSE FOR MISS TAMMY NOT FAR FROM HERE AS A MATTER OF FACT.
AND TO SEE THE TRANSFORMATION, NOT ONLY IN THE HOUSE THAT WE REBUILT, BUT IN THE LIFE OF MISS TAMMY, WAS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD AND SOMETHING THAT REALLY TOUCHED MY HEART.
SO OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, I'VE DONE A LOT WITH REBUILDING HOUSTON, OUR RADIO STATION VOLUNTEERS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, OUR STATION WAS OUT AND, UH, PAINTED A HOUSE FOR A VETERAN, MISS FRANCINE, AND TO BE OUT THERE, AND AGAIN, TO SEE THE TRANSFORMATION NOT ONLY IN THE HOUSE, BUT IN THE LIFE.
AND THE AMAZING THING ABOUT IT IS THAT'S JUST TWO LIVES AND TWO STORIES OF THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HELPED IN THE HISTORY OF REBUILDING TOGETHER.
SO TODAY WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE, WE HAVE A FEW WORDS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SAY.
WE HAVE SOME PROCLAMATIONS WE'D LIKE TO, UH, TO AWARD TO, UH, THE FOLKS FROM REBUILDING TOGETHER.
AND THEN AFTER THIS IS ALL OVER, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME CHICK-FIL-A REFRESHMENTS AT THE END.
SO THAT'LL BE YOUR ENTICEMENT TO HANG AROUND.
OKAY, LET ME BRING UP TO THE STAGE RIGHT NOW, CHRISTINE HOLLAND, WHO IS GOING TO BE HERE TODAY, AND SHE'S GONNA KICK OFF OUR PROGRAM FOR US.
SO I'M ACTUALLY GONNA TALK MORE AT THE END.
UM, RIGHT NOW I JUST WANNA SAY WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE EAST END.
UH, THIS IS THE REBUILDING TOGETHER COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THIS IS OUR FOCUS AREA.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING HERE FOR FOUR YEARS, AND I GUESS WE'RE JUST GONNA KEEP WORKING UNTIL EVERYBODY'S HOUSE IS SAFE.
ALRIGHT, AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PASS IT BACK TO GEORGE FOR THE, THE WHOLE PROGRAM.
AND NOW A MAN WHO REALLY DOESN'T NEED AN INTRODUCTION, BUT I'M ALWAYS HONORED TO BE ON THE STAGE AND GET A CHANCE TO INTRODUCE HIM.
WOULD YOU PLEASE WELCOME, UH, HERE TODAY FOR REBUILDING TOGETHER, A BIG SUPPORTER, A BIG FAN, AND OUR MAYOR, MAYOR TURNER.
CHRISTINE, CAROLYN, ROB, STATE SENATOR CAROL.
LOOK, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE WITH YOU HERE, UH, THIS MORNING AND HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY.
UH, I'M PLEASED TO BE HERE TO CELEBRATE AS WE MARK TODAY AS REBUILDING TOGETHER DAY, UH, FOR THE LAST FOUR DECADES OF REBUILDING TOGETHER HAS BEEN THE NONPROFIT LEADING THE EFFORT IN REPAIRING HOMES OF LOW INCOME, ELDERLY, US MILITARY VETERANS, AND WORKING FAMILIES IN NEED.
I WAS JUST TELLING CAROLYN AND, AND ROB, UH, JUST THIS PAST SATURDAY, UH, WE END UP, UH, GOING INTO A HOME THAT WAS REBUILT, UH, FOR A PERSON 85, 86 YEARS OLD.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, HER FACE JUST LIT UP AND YOU MONEY JUST CAME BY.
UM, SO IN HOUSTON, ALL OF US HAVE BECOME TOO FAMILIAR, UH, WITH THE DEVASTATION THAT FOLLOWS WHEN A SERIOUS WEATHER EVENT WREAKS HAVE IT ON OUR HOMES.
AND OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, REBUILDING TOGETHER HAS BEEN A KEY PARTNER IN HOUSTON'S AND HOUSTON'S RECOVERY FROM NATURAL DISASTERS.
BUT FOR OF REBUILDING TOGETHER HOUSTON, LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF HOMES WOULD BE, WOULD HAVE BEEN IN BAD SHAPE, WAITING EVEN ON THE GOVERNMENT AND ON OTHERS TO COME TO THEIR RESCUE.
AND AS THESE STORMS ARE COMING WITH GREATER FREQUENCY AND GREATER INTENSITY, THE WORK OF REBUILDING TOGETHER HOUSTON IS AS IMPORTANT AS EVER.
UH, AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, I REMEMBER SPEAKING TO THIS GROUP IN 20 18, 1 YEAR AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY, WE WERE WAITING ON FEDERAL DOLLARS TO KICKSTART OUR RECOVERY PROCESS.
AND, BUT FOR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THIS ONE WHO HAD STEPPED IN AND STARTED WORK FOR THEIR A HUNDRED OF VOLUNTEERS, HOMES SIMPLY WOULD NOT HAVE REPAIRED.
SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE, UH, ALL THE PARTNERS, THE CORPORATE PARTNERS, EVERYONE WHO, UH, WHO HAS INVESTED.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I GIVE OUT A LOT OF PROCLAMATIONS, A LOT, UH, TO ENTERTAINERS AND CELEBRITIES AND SPORTS ATHLETES AND ALL OF THAT.
BUT TODAY I WANT TO GIVE OUT A PROCLAMATION TO AN ORGANIZATION WHO'S HELPING OUR SENIORS AND HELPING PEOPLE TO KIND OF, UH, REBUILD THEIR LIVES, UH, BECAUSE WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTINA MORALE, IT'S GOOD
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TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING.UH, THE PROCLAMATION I WANT TO PRESENT THIS MORNING IS JUST VERY, VERY SPECIAL.
SO, UH, CHRISTINE, IF YOU'LL COME UP YES, SIR.
YEAH, I I'M WON'T READ THE WHOLE THING, BUT IT DOES SAY, REBUILDING TOGETHER IS AN ACKNOWLEDGED LEADER IN RECOVERY, UTILIZING ITS DEEP CONNECTION TO COMMUNITIES AND ITS CONSTRUCTION EXPERTISE TO RESTORE HOMES THROUGHOUT HARRIS COUNTY WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
REBUILDING TOGETHER NOT ONLY REPAIRS THE DAMAGE INFLICTED BY THE CURRENT DISASTER, BUT ALSO OFFERS MAINTENANCE.
THE COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION PROGRAM FOCUSES ON CONTRACTOR WORK FOR ROOFS PLUS PEERING BEAM STABILIZATION AND VOLUNTEER REPAIR FOR THE EXTERIOR OF THE HOMES IN 2019.
REBUILDING TOGETHER EXPANDED ITS EFFORTS AND CHOSE SECOND WARD, ITS HOME NEIGHBORHOOD FOR A FIVE YEAR, 100 HOME PROJECT.
SECOND WARD IS ONE OF THE FOUR ORIGINAL NEIGHBORHOODS IN HOUSTON AND HAS A RICH HERITAGE OF HISPANIC ART, CULTURE AND FOOD IN NINE IN 2021.
THE PROGRAM PROGRAM ALSO WENT ON TO INCLUDE THE MAGNOLIA PARK MANCHESTER AREA ON MAY 12TH, 2022.
REBUILDING TOGETHER WILL CELEBRATE ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY AND HAVE, HAVING HELPED OVER 14,600 LOW-INCOME FAMILIES RECEIVE, UH, FREE HOME REPAIR, THE CITY OF HOUSTON COMMANDS AND APPRECIATES REBUILDING TOGETHER FOR THEIR WORTHWHILE CONTRIBUTION TO THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY AND EXTENDS BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS.
SO THEREFORE, I, BUSTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROBABLY PROCLAIM THIS DAY, MAY THE 12TH, 2022 AS WE BUILDING TOGETHER HOUSTON DAY AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU ALL CONTINUE TO DO.
AND THEN, CAROLYN, FOR YOU ALL TO BE HAVING YOUR NATIONAL BOARD MEETING IN HOUSTON, IT GENERALLY IS IN DC UM, BUT THINGS ARE BETTER IN HOUSTON.
UH, LET ME THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND HAVING YOUR NATIONAL BOARD MEETING IN DC AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL TIME.
UH, UP NEXT, UH, WE'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UH, SOMEONE AGAIN THAT DOESN'T NEED AN INTRODUCTION, UH, BECAUSE OF ALL THE GOOD WORK SHE DOES, BUT WOULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME TO THE STAGE STATE SENATOR CAROL ALVARADO, PLEASE.
WELL, REBUILDING IS SOMETHING A CITY LIKE HOUSTON KNOWS ALL TOO WELL, MAYOR, WHETHER IT'S HURRICANES, FREEZES, NO MATTER WHAT IT IS, WE KNOW HOW TO REBUILD.
WE KNOW HOW TO REBUILD EVEN COMING BACK FROM SPORT TEAMS WHO AREN'T DOING SO WELL,
SO HOUSTON IS KNOWN FOR REBUILDING, AND I WANNA THANK REBUILDING TOGETHER FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE, BUT ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY ARE COMMITTED NOW TO WORKING IN THE EAST END.
AND OF COURSE, THE THIRD WARD COMMUNITY.
I SPENT MY CHILDHOOD AT THIS PARK.
MY MOTHER STILL LIVES HERE, 94 YEARS YOUNG.
SHE'S JUST A FEW STREETS DOWN.
I, I MADE A PIT STOP AND TOLD HER I WAS COMING OVER HERE AND SHE WAS VERY EXCITED THAT THIS IS TAKING PLACE IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THIS ORGANIZATION, THEY HAVE BEEN CONTINUOUSLY GIVING IN SO MANY EFFORTS.
IN 2017, DURING, UH, HARVEY, THEY HAD THE REBUILDING TOGETHER SAN ANTONIO CHAPTER THAT CAME AND HELPED.
AND OF COURSE, UH, AFTER THAT, IN 2020, THEY HAD THE AIR QUALITY INTERVENTION PROGRAM TO HELP FAMILIES WITH PURIFIERS AFTER HARVEY.
AND THEN OF COURSE, MORE RECENTLY DURING THE WINTER STORM URI, THEY PROVIDED FREE EMERGENCY PLUMBING REPAIRS TO FAMILIES IN THEIR NETWORK AND TO VETERANS.
SO THEY HAVE SUCH A GOOD TRACK RECORD, UH, NOT JUST RIGHT HERE, BUT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND SO GLAD THAT THE NATIONAL BOARD IS HERE.
AND SO I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THEM WITH A RESOLUTION FROM THE STATE.
I'D LIKE TO ASK CHRISTINA MORALES, THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THIS AREA.
THIS IS A NEW PART OF HER DISTRICT.
SO AFTER REDISTRICTING, SHE IS NOW THE STATE REPRESENT, AND I'M VERY HAPPY 'CAUSE I KNOW SHE'LL TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY MOM.
AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE MR. MOSBACHER AND CHRISTINE COME UP.
MAYOR, I TRIED TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT YOU SAID SO I DON'T REPEAT MYSELF SO PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO HEAR THE SAME THING TWICE.
SO I'LL READ JUST A COUPLE OF BITS.
WHEREAS THIS OUTSTANDING ORGANIZATION TRACES ITS ORIGINS BACK TO 1982 WHEN ROBERT MOSBACHER JR.
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INITIATIVE IN HOUSTON.IN 2003, THE ORGANIZATION JOINED REBUILDING TOGETHER A NATIONAL NETWORK THAT PROVIDES NON-DISASTER HOME REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO PEOPLE IN NEED, SUCH AS LOW INCOME, ELDERLY RESIDENTS, HOMEOWNERS WITH DISABILITIES, AND THE US MILITARY VETERANS.
AND WHEREAS OVER THE PAST FOUR DECADES, REBUILDING TOGETHER, HOUSTON HAS CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE PROSPERITY OF THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE ENJOYED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS.
AND THE ORGANIZATION IS INDEED DESERVING OF RECOGNITION IN THIS IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN ITS HISTORY.
NOW THEREFORE, IT BE RESOLVED THAT REBUILDING TOGETHER HOUSTON BE CONGRATULATED ON ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY AND ITS LEADERSHIP STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS TO THE EXTENDED SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR THEIR IMPORTANT WORK.
ON BEHALF OF THE SENATE OF TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HOUSE, WE CONGRATULATE YOU.
THANK WHY DON'T YOU IN HERE, SO YOU GET IN THE MIDDLE, RIGHT? OKAY.
WHY DON'T WE SCOOT DOWN SO THIS ISN'T IN THE WAY, AND THEY CAN GET A PICTURE.
THANK YOU SENATOR ALVARADO AND, UH, EVERYBODY, UH, FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
YOU KNOW, THE ORIGINAL VISION OF THIS, YOU JUST HEARD MENTION OF THE ORIGINAL START OF THIS HERE IN HOUSTON, UH, STARTED WITH A FELLOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET A CHANCE TO HEAR FROM, AND HE'LL TALK ABOUT THE ORIGINAL MISSION, THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A SECOND BEFORE HE COMES UP HERE TO COMMEND REBUILDING TOGETHER HOUSTON ON BEING INNOVATIVE.
WE THINK OF THEM BEHIND US, HAMMERS AND NAILS AND SAWS.
BUT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE HAVE PARTNERED TOGETHER WITH REBUILDING TO TALK ABOUT GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT THERE TO SENIORS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.
LAST YEAR THEY PRODUCED A SERIES OF VIDEOS FOR SENIORS ONLY TO GET THEM READY FOR HURRICANE SEASON FROM LOOKING AT YOUR ROOF AND HOW EASY IT IS TO DO THAT, TO PREPARING THINGS AROUND YOUR HOUSE AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE SUPPLIES.
SO WHILE WE HEAR ABOUT THE ORIGINAL WORK, LET'S ALSO TAKE A MOMENT TO REALIZE WHAT THEY'VE DONE AND BEING INNOVATIVE AND TRYING TO REACH THOSE SENIORS OUT THERE THAT LOOK AT THEIR PICTURES OF THEIR GRANDCHILDREN ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT ALSO SEE THESE IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT GETS OUT THERE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CHANNEL THAN WHAT YOU SEE SOMETIMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I JUST THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD COMBINATION, AND THE GUY WHO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER IS THE NEXT GUEST ON THE STAGE.
UH, PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME ROB MOSBACHER.
WELL, SENATOR ALVARADO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE, CHRISTINE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
MAYOR TURNER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE WITH MY GOOD FRIEND CAROLINE BLAKELY.
AND I ACTUALLY SERVED TOGETHER ON AN NGO BOARD IN WASHINGTON FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS.
AND GEORGE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTRODUCTION.
SO LET ME JUST SORT OF SET THE STAGE IF I CAN.
BACK 40 YEARS AGO, 1981, THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION WAS JUST COMING INTO OFFICE.
THERE WERE VERY BOLD PLANS TO CUT TAXES DRAMATICALLY AND TO CUT SPENDING DRAMATICALLY.
AND THERE WERE MANY OF US, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY HAVE SUPPORTED MUCH OF THAT SORT OF FISCAL DISCIPLINE, WHO FELT THIS IS AN IDEAL TIME FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, FOR RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS TO STEP UP AND HELP SORT OF MITIGATE THE POTENTIAL FALLOUT FROM THIS.
AND TO REALLY REVISIT NEIGHBOR HELPING NEIGHBOR, WHICH IS WHAT IS WHAT, UH, PRESIDENT REAGAN LOVED AND WAS SORT OF A DESCRIPTION OF OUR COUNTRY BY ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE YEARS AND YEARS AGO.
SO THE PRIVATE SECTOR INITIATIVES PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED IN WASHINGTON.
I WAS PART OF HELPING THAT LAUNCH AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WHAT BETTER PLACE TO TRY AND PUT THIS INTO SORT OF OPERATIONS THAN TO START A HOUSTON COMMITTEE FOR PRIVATE SECTOR INITIATIVE.
SO, UH, I SPOKE TO A VARIETY OF, OF BUSINESS AND CIVIC FOLKS.
UH, WE ENDED UP A APPOINTING A COMMITTEE THAT WAS CO-CHAIRED BY JIM KEON, WHO WAS HEAD OF TENNECO, UH, YEARS AGO, THE LARGEST CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS IN HOUSTON AT THAT TIME, STUART ORTON, WHO WAS HEAD OF FOLEY'S AT THE TIME, AND, UH, AND WAS ALSO HEAD OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AND THOSE TWO PEOPLE HELPED ME AND OTHERS BUILD A GREAT COMMITTEE.
AND ONE OF THE KEY PEOPLE ON THAT COMMITTEE WAS FELIX FROGGER.
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AND YES,SO, UH, FELIX WAS ON THAT COMMITTEE, AND THEN WE STARTED THINKING ABOUT WHAT AREAS COULD WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
WE IN THE BUSINESS COMMITTEE, ONE OF THE FIRST WAS HOUSING.
HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION.
AND WE, WE HIRED SOMEONE TO WORK ON THAT.
HE'S STANDING RIGHT BACK THERE, JEFF BALLIN, WHO HAS THE SHIRT ON THAT WE USED THE FIRST TIME.
IT SAYS PSI, UH, VOLUNTEER HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
I THINK FOUR WERE IN THE EAST END THANKS TO FELIX.
AND TWO WERE IN MAGNOLIA, OR THE FIFTH WARD, FOURTH WARD, FIFTH, I CAN SEE FIVE FINGERS.
AND, UM, AND WE COULD TELL FROM THE MOMENT WE DID THIS PROGRAM, NOT ONLY THE REACTION OF THE HOMEOWNERS, WHICH WAS EX EXTRAORDINARY.
IT, THERE'S JUST NOTHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER IN YOUR HEART.
TO SEE SOMEONE, UH, WHO LIVES IN A HOUSE THAT'S DESPERATELY IN NEED OF REPAIR, EXTERIOR AS WELL AS INTERIOR, UH, TRANSFORMED INTO SOMEONE WHO CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THEY'VE BEEN BLESSED BY THIS KIND OF HELP.
AND SO, FROM THE HOMEOWNER STANDPOINT, WE KNEW WE HAD HIT A HOME RUN.
AND FROM THE STANDPOINT OF VOLUNTEERS, WE HAD GREAT VOLUNTEERS WHO LOVED DOING THIS.
AND SO, WHILE I HELPED LAUNCH THIS 40 YEARS AGO, IT'S HAD INCREDIBLY STRONG LEADERSHIP AND, UH, VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY HOUSTON IS BLESSED WITH PEOPLE WHO GIVE SO GENEROUSLY OF THEIR TIME AND OF THEIR TALENTS.
THE CHALLENGE FOR US WAS FIND THE RIGHT STRUCTURE OR PLATFORM FOR THESE PEOPLE TO BE PUT TO BEST USE.
AND THAT'S WHAT REBUILDING TOGETHER HAS DONE.
THE RELATIONSHIP WITH REBUILDING TOGETHER HAS NOT ONLY HELPED GIVE US A NATIONAL UMBRELLA, AN ORGANIZATION WE COULD WORK WITH, AND CAROLINE'S GONNA TELL YOU MORE ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
BUT IT ALSO HAS HELPED US UNDERSTAND BEST PRACTICES AND HOW DO WE MOTIVATE VOLUNTEERS, HOW DO WE FIND NEW HOMES AND THE LIKE.
SO I'M VERY PROUD AS A HOUSTONIAN OF, UH, OF WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS, 14,000 PLUS HOMES.
AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL ETERNALLY, UH, TO ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE BY MANY OF YOU IN THIS AUDIENCE.
SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO PARTICIPATE.
THAT NU NUMBER IS SOMETHING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
ROB TALKED ABOUT OVER 14,000 HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN REPAIRED.
BUT AGAIN, I BRING UP THE FACT THAT THAT'S 14,000 FAMILIES LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED BY THE WORK HERE.
AND HE TALKED ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP WITH REBUILDING TOGETHER.
AND HERE TO TELL US, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO GIVE A BIG HOUSTON WELCOME TO CAROLINE BLAKELY, WHO IS HERE, UH, WITH THE NATIONAL.
SHE IS THE NATIONAL CEO OF REBUILDING TOGETHER.
SO GIVE HER A BIG HOUSTON WELCOME.
OKAY, UH, LET ME GET THIS DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
I AM CAROLINE BLAKELY FROM WASHINGTON DC UH, CEO OF NATIONAL.
AND YOU CAN SEE I WEAR THE UNIFORM.
I BELIEVE SO MUCH IN THIS, BUT I LIKE THAT LOGO TOO.
SO, UM, WE'LL HAVE TO GET A PICTURE OF THAT.
THANK YOU, UH, HOUSTON BOARD, UH, FOR ALLOWING US TO THE NATIONAL BOARD TO COME AND WITNESS, UH, THIS VERY IMPORTANT DAY.
WE'RE NOT 40 YEARS OLD, SO THIS ALL STARTED BECAUSE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF AFFILIATES WHO ARE 40, WHO STARTED THE MOVEMENT, AND THEN WE'RE ABOUT 30 SOME YEARS OLD AT THE NATIONAL OFFICE WHEN THE MOVEMENT GOT SO BIG THAT IT HAD TO HAVE A NATIONAL UMBRELLA PRESENCE WHERE WE COULD PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR AFFILIATES TO HELP THEM INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY AND INCREASE THEIR FUNDING AND INCREASE THEIR EXPOSURE TO MEDIA, INCREASE THEIR EXPOSURE TO FEDERAL FUNDING.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE NATIONAL OFFICE DOES.
AND I HAVE, UH, MEMBERS OF MY NATIONAL BOARD.
WE NEVER GO OUT OF WASHINGTON FOR A NATIONAL BOARD MEETING, SO WE DON'T GO ON THE ROAD.
SO THIS IS VERY, VERY, VERY SPECIAL TO BE HERE IN HOUSTON ON YOUR VERY IMPORTANT DAY.
UH, SO I HAVE A NUMBER OF MY NATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS HERE WITH ME, UH, THAT ARE, WE'RE GONNA MEET IN A, IN A FEW HOURS.
AND, UH, WE REALLY, UH, APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP ALL OF OUR AFFILIATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE ABOUT 125 OF, UH, AFFILIATES.
NONE LIKE REBUILDING TOGETHER HOUSTON, IT'S THE BEST.
UM, BUT, UM, THEY ALL DO THE SAME KIND OF WORK AS YOU SEE BEHIND ME.
SO I'VE BEEN IN HOMES ACROSS THE COUNTRY SEEING THE TRANSFORMATION THAT ROB TALKED ABOUT, SEEING THE SMILES ON THE FACES OF NOT ONLY THE HOMEOWNERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, UH, BUT ALSO THE VOLUNTEERS, UH, COMPLETELY MOVING EXPERIENCE FOR A VOLUNTEER WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND, UM, REALLY THE WHOLE PROCESS UNTIL THEY COME AND ACTUALLY WITNESS IT WITH THEIR OWN EYES AND USE THEIR OWN HANDS TO ACTUALLY DO THE WORK AND, UH, GIVE TRANSFORMATION TO THE LIVES OF PEOPLE THAT WE HELP.
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FAMILIES A YEAR NATIONWIDE.COVID DIPPED A BIT, BUT IT DIDN'T STOP.
SO EVEN DURING COVID, WE MANAGED TO PIVOT FROM VOLUNTEERS TO CONTRACTORS.
WE STILL REACHED OUT TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE SO DESPERATELY IN NEED, AS WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO AS A NATIONAL OFFICE.
SO AGAIN, I REALLY WANNA THANK, UM, THE CHAIR OF THE, OF THE HOUSTON BOARD.
THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THIS, AND CHRISTINE, AGAIN, THANK YOU.
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING HERE.
ALL RIGHT, UP NEXT, UH, THE LADY WHO INTRODUCED ME AND GOT ME INVOLVED, THE LADY WHO SAT ACROSS THE TABLE FROM ME AND TOLD ME ABOUT THE MISSION THAT THEY HAVE AND THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE THEY HAVE, LIKE LENNY AND ALL THE FOLKS THAT I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO WORK WITH ON DIFFERENT PROJECTS, UH, SHE'S A LADY THAT HAS A VISION AND EXECUTES THAT VISION PERFECTLY LOVE WORKING WITH HER.
WOULD YOU PLEASE WELCOME CHRISTINE HOLLAND BACK TO THE MICROPHONE.
WE'RE HAVING A TALL SEAT, RIGHT? I I REMEMBER THAT NEXT TIME.
UM, SO MAYOR TURNER, SENATOR ALVARADO, UM, ROB AND CAROLINE, THANK THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THE PROCLAMATIONS WE ALREADY RECEIVED, I HAVE TWO MORE.
UH, THEY'RE OVER THERE IN THE HOSPITALITY TENT.
UH, ONE OF THEM IS FROM COMMISSIONER GARCIA WHO COULD NOT BE HERE WITH US.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE MARIA BOLANOS IS HERE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM, UH, STATE REP MARIANNE PEREZ'S OFFICE AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS OFFICE.
THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER GALLEGOS DISTRICT.
AND, UH, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ IS ACTUALLY MY MAN IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WHEN, WHEN WE GOT FUNDING TO MOVE INTO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, I CALLED HIM, I SAID, GET EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, ON THE PHONE.
I NEED TO LEARN WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WANTS.
AND HE, HE'S JUST BEEN AWESOME.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR, FOR MY STAFF, ALL THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE AND THE BRIGHT GOLD 40TH ANNIVERSARY T-SHIRTS.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR MY BOARD OF DIRECTORS, MY CO-PILOT, UH, GARY OLANDER, THE PRESIDENT OF THE REBUILDING TOGETHER BOARD.
UM, YOU GUYS ARE THE WIND UNDER OUR WINGS, SO OUR BOARD DOES SO MUCH FOR US.
SO WHEN ROB AND I MET LAST DECEMBER AND WE'D NEVER MET IN PERSON, I KEPT CALLING HIM AND HE'S A BUSY MAN.
UM, BUT AS THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY APPROACHED, UM, HE CONTACTED ME AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED TO MEET.
AND SO HE WAS DOWN HERE IN DECEMBER AND, UM, WE SET THE CONFERENCE ROOM UP IN OUR OFFICE OVER, UM, ON GREENWOOD AVENUE.
WE SET IT UP AS A WAR ROOM WITH ALL THE MEMENTOS AND EVERYTHING THAT WE WERE DOING.
AND, UM, I DON'T THINK I NEEDED TO TRY THAT HARD.
UM,
BUT IT WAS REALLY KEVIN RAFFERTY, WHO IS THE CHAIR OF THE REBUILDING TOGETHER NATIONAL BOARD GENTLEMAN BACK HERE.
UH, HE WAS, UH, SENT TO NATIONAL FROM THE REBUILDING TOGETHER HOUSTON BOARD.
AND KEVIN'S REALLY THE ONE THAT HAD THE VISION AND SAID, WOW, LET'S GET THE NATIONAL BOARD DOWN TO HOUSTON.
UM, LET'S HAVE THEM HAVE THEIR BOARD MEETING HERE, AND LET'S ALL CELEBRATE THIS TOGETHER.
SO, UM, I I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY IN HOUSTON, WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO GO SMALL.
SO THIS IS WHAT IT TURNED INTO.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT 40 YEARS AGO, UH, ROB AND THE FOUNDERS OF PSI, THEY HAD A BIG DREAM, A DREAM ABOUT BUSINESSES, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, AND RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS STEPPING UP TO HELP THE PEOPLE IN NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THE CURRENT BOARD AND THE CURRENT STAFF.
WE STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF THOSE PEOPLE.
THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE LIKE PSI WHEN THEY STARTED THIS.
AND I ALSO HAVE TO SAY, WE'RE INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE OVER 300,000 VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED US OVER THE YEARS.
I MEAN, IT, IT, WHEN WE STARTED COLLECTING THESE NUMBERS LAST YEAR, UH, WE WERE REALLY SHOCKED, UH,
SO SINCE THOSE EARLY DAYS REBUILDING TOGETHER, HOUSTON HAS REPAIRED THE HOMES OF ALMOST 15,000 FAMILIES IN NEED, ALMOST 15,000.
AND THAT IS THE EQUIVALENT OF ONE HOME A DAY FOR OVER 40 YEARS, NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS.
SO, UM, BEHIND ME HERE, WE HAVE THE ORTIZ FAMILY HOME.
THE PRESENTING SPONSOR FOR THIS HOUSE IS RELIANT.
UH, RELIANT IS REPAIRING HOUSE NUMBER
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14,673.WE'RE COUNTING DOWN, UH, TO THE 15,000.
AND THEN THIS OTHER HOUSE OVER HERE.
THIS IS THE CANT, THIS IS THE CANTERA FAMILY HOUSE.
AND, UM, OUR FRIENDS FROM VALERO AND THEIR PARTNER BAY, UH, ARE REPAIRING THIS HOUSE, AND THEY'RE ALMOST DONE.
SO THEY'RE ALMOST DONE AND RELIANT JUST STARTED TODAY.
SO YOU GET TO SEE AN ALMOST DONE AND A JUST BEGINNING ON THE VOLUNTEER SIDE, UM, MAYOR TURNER TALKED ABOUT THE REPAIRS THAT REBUILDING TOGETHER HAS MADE FOR THE SURVIVORS OF HURRICANE HARVEY IN TIMES OF DISASTER.
UM, HOUSTONIANS ARE UNBELIEVABLY GENEROUS.
WE'VE GOTTA BE ONE OF THE MOST GENEROUS CITIES IN, IN THE NATION, IN THE WORLD.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO TURN THAT DISASTER INTO A BLESSING FOR 480 FAMILIES WHO NOT ONLY GOT REPAIRS FROM HARVEY, BUT THEIR HOUSES, ALL THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE IN THEIR HOUSES WAS CORRECTED SO THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THOSE HOUSES FOR YEARS TO COME.
SO THE HOMES THAT WE'RE REPAIRING THIS YEAR, THEY ARE NOT IN REACTION TO A DISASTER.
THEY'VE BEEN DAMAGED BY JUST THE YEARS OF THEIR EXISTENCE.
THESE HOUSES ARE 73 YEARS OLD.
THEY'RE BELTS THE SAME YEAR IN 1949.
AND THE ORTIZ AND CANTERA FAMILIES, THEY WORKED VERY, VERY HARD TO BUY THAT HOUSE JUST AS HARD AS ANY OF US HAVE EVER WORKED TO BUY A HOME.
AND NOW IT'S MANY YEARS LATER, THEY'RE LIVING ON A FIXED INCOME AND THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T MAINTAIN THE HOME IN A SAFE CONDITION.
AND OUR WORK WILL ADD 20 YEARS TO THE LIFE OF THEIR HOUSE, MAYBE MORE, AND THE HOME WILL BE PASSED ON.
THEY TOLD ME THEY'RE PASSING THEIR HOMES ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF THEIR FAMILY.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT IN OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, THESE HOMES, VERY IMPORTANTLY, THEY ARE NOW BETTER PREPARED TO WITHSTAND THE NEXT HURRICANE.
THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO IT, AND WE ALL KNOW IT'S NOT A MATTER OF IF, IT'S A MATTER OF WHEN.
UM, SO WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT RESILIENCE.
OUR WORK IS ABOUT RESILIENCE TODAY.
TO MAKE THESE HOMES SAFER, WE NEED TO ACTIVATE THE GENEROSITY OF HOUSTONIANS AGAIN SO THAT THIS WORK CAN CONTINUE.
DAY AFTER DI DAY, WE CALL THIS A BLUE SKY DAY, RIGHT? THERE'S NO DISASTER.
BUT THERE ARE FAMILIES ALL OVER OUR CITY THAT NEED OUR HELP.
UM, SO HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT AND EVERYONE DESERVES A HOME WHERE SENIORS CAN AGE IN PLACE, AND WHERE CHILDREN CAN GROW UP HEALTHY.
AND WITH YOUR HELP, REBUILDING TOGETHER HERE IN HOUSTON CAN CONTINUE OUR WORK OF RESILIENCE, REPAIRING HOMES, REVITALIZING COMMUNITIES, AND REBUILDING LIVES.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I WANT TO MENTION THAT THERE IS A TON OF INFORMATION OVER HERE IN THIS HOSPITALITY, UH, TENT.
UH, THERE'S INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PROGRESS IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE REPAIRS DONE ON EACH HOUSE, ABOUT THE FAMILY, UM, AND I'D LIKE YOU ALL TO CHECK THAT OUT IF YOU CAN.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AND, UH, JUST A QUICK STORY ABOUT REBUILDING TOGETHER.
HOUSTON, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY DO, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK YOU'LL FIND WHEN YOU VOLUNTEER IS HOW IT BRINGS PEOPLE FROM ALL DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE, INCOME LEVELS TOGETHER TO WORK ON A PROJECT TOGETHER, HELPING SOMEONE ELSE.
AND I THINK MAYBE THAT WAS WHAT RESONATED SO MUCH WITH ME WHEN I FIRST MET CHRISTINE AND THE GROUP WITH REBUILDING TOGETHER.
MY DAD WAS A BAPTIST MINISTER, AND I FELT LIKE EVERY TIME WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, WHEN I WAS A KID, I'D SAY, DAD, I'M TIRED.
HE'D SAY, HAVE YOU HELPED SOMEBODY? HE'D DAD, I'M BORED.
HE'D SAY, HAVE YOU HELPED SOMEBODY? I WAS LIKE, DAD, THERE'S NOTHING TO DO.
HE SAY, HAVE YOU HELPED SOMEBODY? THAT'S A MISSION THAT CONTINUES TODAY WITH REBUILDING TOGETHER.
HAVE YOU HELPED SOMEBODY? THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, 40TH ANNIVERSARY TO REBUILDING HOUSTON.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE CHICK-FIL-A, SOME, UH, REFRESHMENTS AND GOODIES, UH, FOR AFTERWARDS.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.